Rather than draft another biography of Good Ol’ Ben, I’d like to share my view onto why he is such a great man, and why he has gone down in history the way he has. The book has a quote that basically refers to Franklin as one of the original realizers of the American Dream. In this country, what do we really respect? Creativity, entrepreneurship, and hard work that eventually leads to PROFIT! ($$$) Franklin was alive during the Enlightenment at a time when European scientists and assorted nerdy folk were making discoveries that would advance science for years to come. The problem was few of these advancements had any real-world use. I assume that a rural farmer in Virginia would either scoff at or throw religion at the European “advancements;” that is if he could understand them at all.
Enter Benjamin
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He had very little formal, ordinary education, but was able to succeed as a result of his extraordinary mind. Today, some of the richest people in our country are Harvard dropouts. I bring this up because Franklin established a tradition that in America, you are welcome to shape your own path and reap the benefits.
Secondly, as mentioned before, Franklin was interested in all sorts of tools that could make the everyday American’s life easier including the lightning rod and a highly-efficient stove that “is still in use today” (92). This kind of passionate innovation is necessary for building a country.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Benjamin Franklin was a great thinker and planner. He, at the early age of 21, started an organization known as Junto that was composed of fellow great people that he held in high esteem. Franklin was also responsible for the Albany Plan, which called for the 13 colonies to join together to create the Grand Council. This dedication to communication and thought made Franklin an obvious candidate for probably the most American position of all: a founding